News

Funding from the Department for Education is helping our college harness the transformative power of educational technology.

A total of £6.9 million from the local skills improvement fund* (LSIF) was awarded to colleges across West Yorkshire in late 2023, to support new digitised training programmes and the development of key courses.

Our share of the money has helped to buy cutting-edge equipment including virtual reality (VR) headsets, learn from expert guest speakers and fund training to improve our staff’s digital skills.

The college’s ilearn team has been at the forefront of these efforts, which are boosting the effectiveness of our teaching in all kinds of ways.

Virtual worlds unlocking employability skills

Sarah Fearn, ilearn Project and Resources Officer, said: “The LSIF funding and our investment in tech, across all projects, has enabled us to re-evaluate how we use educational technology to deliver the maximum benefits to our students.

“We are using the VR headsets, for example, to help students develop crucial soft skills. We’re doing this by using the Bodyswaps platform, which provides immersive VR experiences and uses AI-powered simulations to let learners interact with virtual characters in realistic situations.

“These scenarios can range from job interviews and presentations, to challenging conversations and conflict resolution, and everyone who takes part is provided with constructive feedback.

“By stepping into these virtual worlds, students can practise communication skills, develop empathy, experience different viewpoints and understand the impact of their words and actions. This boosts their employability as it helps them build confidence and overcome anxieties linked to things like public speaking and job interviews.”

Lots more to come

A series of Bodyswaps sessions have now been held with Business and Hair, Beauty and Media Makeup students at our Printworks campus, and the aim is to roll them out to more learners. 

Other activities that have been, or are being, supported by LSIF funding include:

• Providing access to Google Level 1 and 2 Certified Trainer packages for 60 members of staff, to help them integrate Google for Education tools into their teaching
• Hosting an AI and assessment workshop at the college, featuring a presentation by ‘The Ideas Guy’, consultant Ben Whitaker
• Getting Ben, plus author and ‘tech champion’, Dan Fitzpaatrick, to each share valuable insights into the use of AI in education
• The development of an AI in the Workplace course, due to be introduced soon, that offers practical training on how best to use AI in professional settings

A variety of further innovative equipment is also set to be purchased, including a ‘patient simulator’ – an interactive mannequin that will be used to enhance the teaching of Health and Social Care courses.

*The local skills improvement fund ( LSIF) is designed to enable colleges in specific areas to respond together to provide the most crucial skills training.